Writing Saturday: K is for Kings

1:00 AM

Absolute power corrupts absolutely ~ John Acton

It is hard for us in America to even wrap our brains around
the idea of an absolute ruler. Really, we complain that our police, judges, and
elected officials have too much power. We have no understanding for what it is
like to live under a dictator or a king. We have no concept of a culture that blindly
accepts the orders above them.

When reading fiction set in the Middle Ages I was struck
with how rebellious the fictional characters where. If you study the time (or
read well researched books like In Search of Adventure) you will find most
people never questioned the authority above them.

It was called the Dark Ages for a reason. The literacy rate was
so low; it makes our inner cities look amazingly well schooled. The Bible? The only
people who had access to God’s word were a few priests who could read Latin.

Because of this, the masses looked to the Pope and the King
as God’s appointed voices in their lives. To question them would be likened to
questioning God.

Yes, there were some rebellions, but it was mainly between
the nobles, squabbling for more control. The peasants, for the most part,
accepted their lot as God ordained and accepted the king’s word as absolute.

There were some wonderful rulers, but absolute power to
often corrupts absolutely.

Do you think you would have fought for more rights in you
had lived in the Middle Ages?

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Sarah Holman is a not so typical mid-twenties girl: A homeschool graduate, sister to six awesome siblings, and author of five published books and counting. If there is anything adventuresome about her life, it is because she serves a God with a destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.

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comments

hmm..... I might have fought for more rights, but I'm not actually sure!!! Sitting safely here commenting on your blog I think I would, but then...? I don't know if I would fight for more rights when confronted with the real situation.

Interesting post. As a woman, I probably would resent the absolute authority of a husband who was lawfully endowed to hurt me, disown my children, and assume my property. That is, if he was that sort of man. If he was kind, I probably would have no resentment against his absolute authority. But who knows? My mindset would have been different.

Just FYI, the Dark Ages and Middle Ages separate very early on. :) They do overlap, but aren't the same era. :)

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Sarah Holman is a not so typical mid-twenties girl: A homeschool graduate, sister to six awesome siblings, and author of many published books and short stories. If there is anything adventuresome about her life, it is because she serves a God with a destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.

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